We now know the two teams who will be battling to become the NBA champions this year. One of Boston or Golden State will be able to declare itself the best team in basketball. But these finals could go down in hoops history as a classic.
There will be plenty of Vegas bets being placed on outright winners, totals, MVPs – and a whole host of other details of this eagerly anticipated series. To help you have as much insight as possible, here are five things you should be looking out for in the 2022 NBA Finals between the Celtics and the Warriors.
History Can Play its Part
Sometimes it is recent history that dictates how a game will go. These two only met on two occasions this season though. COVID affected the game in Boston just before Christmas. But it was the Dubs whose bench came through to hang on at the end and take the win. Steph Curry left the court injured in the game in San Francisco in March and the Celtics went on to win relatively easily.
But this match up harks back to the classic 1964 finals between the Boston Celtics and the San Francisco Warriors. The Celtics won in five, as Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain came up against each other for the first time in the big series.
Injuries Could Be Decisive
Injuries and illness have already played their part in the two meetings already this season. But they could be just as important in the race for the championship. Gary Payton II, Otto Porter Jr., and Andre Iguodala have missed games in the playoffs – but there is optimism that they could return for the finals.
The Celtics have also missed two starters during the Eastern Conference finals. Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart seems to have recovered from the ankle injury that caused him to miss two games against the Heat. While Robert Williams III has also been absent. Any of these five players suffering a relapse could really affect the outcome.
NBA Royalty vs. New Generation Stars
There are, of course, a number of world-class players in the current Celtics roster. But whenever Boston is included in the talk of an NBA championship, the memories of Larry Bird and the 1980s instantly crop up. The Celtics are NBA royalty and the players have to learn to deal with that expectation.
Now Boston has a chance in the finals for the first time since 2010 – and it is up against one of the most successful basketball teams in recent history. Golden State has played in five of the last seven finals – and won three of them. This new generation of NBA legends will want to prove a point against one of the most famous teams in the league’s history.
Cometh the Hour…
Cometh the man. That is how the old saying goes – and these finals could be set up for Steph Curry to cement his position as one of the best basketball players of all time. Even though he has a ferociously talented team behind him, he has been the dominant force in the success of this Warriors organization.
His ability to shoot from anywhere on the court troubles opponents like no one else in the league and he has already shown that he can win this title. The three championships prove that. Now the Celtics need to work out how to stop him from winning a fourth.
Celtics to Use Their Size
One area that Boston might be able to take advantage of is the size of its team. The Mavs were not able to capitalize in the Western Conference Finals, but the likes of Al Horford and Grant Williams could exploit this mismatch.
If the Warriors are on their game then it looks like the Celtics will be the underdogs here. But if they can grab an early game on the road, this series could turn out to be one of the all-time classics.
